Water-cooled cooler for CPU of PC

ABSTRACT

A device for cooling a CPU of PC comprises parallel tubes interconnected top and bottom, fins mounted on an outer surface of each tube, and a fan for cooling the fins; and a reservoir assembly including a first reservoir on a top, a second reservoir separate from the first reservoir, an inlet provided on the first reservoir, a third reservoir on an underside, a fourth reservoir separate from the third reservoir, and an outlet provided on the fourth reservoir. Water flowing through the hot CPU is adapted to enter from the inlet to flow through the first reservoir, a first number of the tubes, the third reservoir, a second number of the tubes, the second reservoir, a third number of the tubes, and the fourth reservoir prior to leaving the device via the outlet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to coolers and more particularly to an improved water-cooled cooler for the CPU (central processing unit) of a PC (personal computer).

2. Related Art

A conventional water-cooled cooler for a PC is shown in FIG. 1. The cooler comprises a heat sink 1 mounted a CPU 2 for absorbing heat generated by the running CPU 2, a cooling assembly 3 in fluid communication with the heat sink 1 through a pipe, a fan 5 mounted on the cooling assembly 3 for generating air flow to cool the cooling assembly 3, and a pump 4 for drawing cooled water out of the cooling assembly 3 and feeding into the heat sink 1. This completes a cooling cycle. The cooling assembly 3 is the most important component of the cooler. It is understood that heat dissipation performance of the cooler will be adversely affected if water leaving the cooling assembly 3 has a temperature higher than a predetermined value (i.e., the cooling assembly 3 operates abnormally). Thus, continuing improvements in the exploitation of a water-cooled cooler for PC are constantly being sought.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for cooling a CPU of a PC comprising a cooling assembly including a top plate, a bottom plate, a plurality of parallel tubes interconnected the top and the bottom plates, a plurality of fins mounted on an outer surface of each of the tubes for absorbing heat of water flowing through the tubes, and a fan for generating air flow to cool the fins; and a reservoir assembly including a first reservoir on a top, a second reservoir separate from the first reservoir by a first gap, an inlet provided on the first reservoir, a third reservoir on an underside, a fourth reservoir separate from the third reservoir by a second gap, and an outlet provided on the fourth reservoir wherein the first reservoir is in fluid communication with the third reservoir via a first number of the tubes, the third reservoir is in fluid communication with the second reservoir via a second number of the tubes, and the second reservoir is in fluid communication with the fourth reservoir via a remaining third number of the tubes respectively; wherein water flowing through the hot CPU is adapted to enter from the inlet to flow through the first reservoir, the first number of the tubes, the third reservoir, the second number of the tubes, the second reservoir, the third number of the tubes, and the fourth reservoir sequentially prior to leaving the device via the outlet. In one aspect of the present invention the top plate comprises an upper connecting member proximate one side of the cooling assembly for connecting the first reservoir to the second reservoir, and the bottom plate comprises a lower connecting member proximate the other side of the cooling assembly for connecting the third reservoir to the fourth reservoir.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 schematically depicts a conventional water-cooled cooler for a PC;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of water-cooled cooler for PC according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the cooler shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cooler shown in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, a water-cooled cooler for PC in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a cooling assembly 10 including a plurality of threaded holes 11 such that a fan 5 may secure to the cooling assembly 10 by driving fasteners into the holes 11. The cooling assembly 10 comprises a top plate 12, a bottom plate 13, a plurality of parallel tubes 14 interconnected the top plate 12 and the bottom plate 13, a plurality of fins 15 mounted on an outer surface of each tube 14 such that hot water flowing through the tubes 14 may transfer heat to the fins 15, and the activating fan 5 may generate air flow to cool the fins 15 and thus water.

As shown in FIG. 4, an upper connecting member 120 is provided on the top plate 12 proximate one side and thus left and right sections with respect to the upper connecting member 120 are formed on the top plate 12. A first reservoir 20 and a separate third reservoir 30 are formed on the sections respectively. A first chamber 16 and a separate third chamber 17 are formed in the first reservoir 20 and the third reservoir 30 respectively. An inlet 21 is provided on the first reservoir 20 such that water may flow from an external source to the first chamber 16 via the inlet 21. Similarly, a lower connecting member 130 is provided on the bottom plate 13 proximate the other side and thus left and right sections with respect to the lower connecting member 130 are formed on the bottom plate 13. A second reservoir 40 and a separate fourth reservoir 50 are formed on the sections respectively. A second chamber 18 and a separate fourth chamber 19 are formed in the second reservoir 40 and the fourth reservoir 50 respectively. An outlet 51 is provided on the fourth reservoir 50 such that it is possible that water may flow from an external source to the fourth chamber 19 via the outlet 51. The first chamber 16 is in fluid communication with the second chamber 18 via a first number of tubes 14, the second chamber 18 is in fluid communication with the third chamber 17 via a second number of tubes 14, and the third chamber 17 is in fluid communication with the fourth chamber 19 via a remaining third number of tubes 14 respectively. Thus, water may enter from the inlet 21 through the chambers 16, 17, 18, and 19 and the tubes 14 and then may leave the cooling assembly 10 via the outlet 51. Alternatively, water may enter from the outlet 51 through the chambers 16, 17, 18, and 19 and the tubes 14 and then may leave the cooling assembly 10 via the inlet 21. As stated above, the first chamber 16 is separate from the third chamber 17 and the second chamber 18 is separate from the fourth chamber 19 respectively. Thus, fluid communication and heat transfer either between the first chamber 16 and the third chamber 17 or between the second chamber 18 and the fourth chamber 19 are made impossible. This ensures that only fins 15 are able to dissipate excessive heat of water flowing through the tubes 14.

In detail, in one embodiment hot water enters the first chamber 16 via the inlet 21. Next, water only flows to the second chamber 18 via the first number of tubes 14 rather than permeate to the third chamber 17. That is, temperature of water in the third chamber 17 is not increased. Temperature of the first reservoir 20 is increased because hot water continues to flow into the first chamber 16. Advantageously, the hot first reservoir 20 will not transfer heat to increase temperature of the third reservoir 30 and thus temperature of water in the third chamber 17 since the first reservoir 20 is heatproof. As such, water in the second chamber 18 is initially cooled and is driven to flow to the third chamber 17 via the second number of tubes 14 rather than permeate to the fourth chamber 19. That is, temperature of water in the fourth chamber 19 is not increased. Temperature of the third reservoir 30 is increased because hot water continues to flow into the third chamber 17. Advantageously, the hot second reservoir 40 will not transfer heat to increase temperature of the fourth reservoir 50 and thus temperature of water in the fourth chamber 19 since the second reservoir 40 is heatproof. As such, water in the third chamber 17 is further cooled and is driven to flow to the fourth chamber 19 via the remaining third number of tubes 14. Temperature of again cooled water in the fourth chamber 19 is not increased due to the adjacent hot second reservoir 40. As an end, cool water flows out of the outlet 51.

The heatproof characteristic between the first reservoir 20 and the third reservoir 30 is mainly achieved by a gap 60 therebetween and the heatproof characteristic between the second reservoir 40 and the fourth reservoir 50 is mainly achieved by a gap 70 therebetween respectively.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims. 

1. A device for cooling a CPU of a PC comprising: a cooling assembly including a top plate, a bottom plate, a plurality of parallel tubes interconnected the top and the bottom plates, a plurality of fins mounted on an outer surface of each of the tubes for absorbing heat of water flowing through the tubes, and a fan for generating air flow to cool the fins; and a reservoir assembly including a first reservoir on a top, a second reservoir separate from the first reservoir by a first gap, an inlet provided on the first reservoir, a third reservoir on an underside, a fourth reservoir separate from the third reservoir by a second gap, and an outlet provided on the fourth reservoir wherein the first reservoir is in fluid communication with the third reservoir via a first number of the tubes, the third reservoir is in fluid communication with the second reservoir via a second number of the tubes, and the second reservoir is in fluid communication with the fourth reservoir via a remaining third number of the tubes respectively; wherein water flowing through the hot CPU is adapted to enter from the inlet to flow through the first reservoir, the first number of the tubes, the third reservoir, the second number of the tubes, the second reservoir, the third number of the tubes, and the fourth reservoir sequentially prior to leaving the device via the outlet.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the top plate comprises an upper connecting member proximate one side of the cooling assembly for connecting the first reservoir to the second reservoir, and the bottom plate comprises a lower connecting member proximate the other side of the cooling assembly for connecting the third reservoir to the fourth reservoir. 